Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Turtles on the Move

Roads are deadly for turtles. A few days ago we were traveling on a busy
road and saw a painted turtle crossing the road. By the time we turned around
and went back to help the turtle safely across it had been run over. The turtle
was crushed and so were we.

This is the time of year to be aware of these fantastic creatures
crossing roads, to drive slowly, and to help them across when you can. Female
turtles are on the move in late May and June and sometimes into July. They
leave wetlands and ponds and wander into the surrounding uplands in search of a
good nest site -- gravel roadside, compost or sawdust pile, garden, field or
pasture, or other site with loose soil. Once she finds a suitable site, she
digs a hole with her hind feet, lays the eggs, covers the nest, then heads back
to the wetland from which she came.

A painted turtle returns to a wetland after laying eggs

New Hampshire has seven native turtle species: Blanding’s, box, musk,
painted, snapping, spotted, and wood. Four of the seven (Blandings, spotted,
wood, and box) are of conservation concern because of low or declining
populations.
The Blanding’s and spotted turtles occur in southeast New Hampshire and
are uncommon enough to be on the State’s threatened and endangered species
list. The spotted turtle is rather small, only 3-5 inches, and is noted for the
yellow spots on its head and legs and dotting its smooth, black shell. The
Blanding’s turtle is bigger and is best identified by its yellow chin and
throat, along with its smooth, helmet-shaped carapace (top shell). Spotted
turtles are secretive and harder to observe than some of the other turtles.
Blanding’s turtles are also shy but will bask on logs with painted turtles,
although they slip into the water much sooner than the painted. So, to see a
Blanding’s turtle you must sneak up on a wetland quietly and scan the logs with
binoculars.

A Blanding's turtle with its yellow chin and throat eyes me through the cattails

A spotted turtle glistens after crawling out of a wetland

The wood turtle has a highly sculpted brown shell and orange neck and
front legs. It is found along slow-moving streams and rivers. The wood turtle
is widespread in New Hampshire but declining due to a host of reasons: loss of
habitat, road mortality, collecting, changes to stream channels, and predation
by skunks, raccoons, opossums, foxes, and coyotes. I think it is one of our
most beautiful turtles, which is perhaps why it is illegally collected for the
pet trade.

A wood turtle showcasing its beautifully sculpted shell

The two turtle species most commonly seen in wetlands throughout New
Hampshire are painted and snapping turtles. Despite their abundance, I always
enjoy seeing painted turtles basking on sun-draped logs, sometimes ten or more
to a log, and occasionally several piled on top of each other. As its name
suggests, the painted turtle is a beautiful reptile. The head and neck have
streaks of red and yellow, two yellow spots are located behind each eye, and
the margins of the carapace have reddish markings.

The snapping turtle, or “snapper,” is wrongly maligned for aggressive
behavior and for eating ducklings. Unlike our other native turtles, the
snapping turtle has a small bottom shell (the plastron) so that it cannot pull
itself completely inside its shell for protection. Instead, it relies on a
powerful, hooked upper jaw and its formidable stature for defense. The snapper
is most comfortable in the water and will slip quietly away if disturbed. On
land it shows more aggressive behavior when disturbed, which is when people
often encounter one crossing the road. Picking up a snapper by its tail can
damage its backbone and anyway it is best to avoid its sharp jaw. The preferred
option is to carefully nudge a snapping turtle in the right direction and
eventually it will move. I find that most drivers are fond of turtles and will
wait for the crossing to be completed. Snapping turtles eat a variety of foods,
such as fish, snails, frogs, birds, mammals, plants, and they sometimes
scavenge and on occasion will catch a duckling.

A snapper lays her eggs in gravelly soil

I am not as familiar with the musk and box turtles. The musk turtle, or
“stinkpot,” rarely emerges from water so it is difficult to observe. Box
turtles are rare in New Hampshire; those that are here may have been released
as pets. A non-native pet turtle should never be released into the wild as it
may carry diseases harmful to our native turtles. In New Hampshire and some
other states, it is illegal to collect, possess, sell, import, or harm
Blanding’s, spotted, wood, and box turtles. Wild turtles should not be
collected or moved, but helping them across a road is okay and a welcome assist.

To further aid in conserving our native turtles you can report sightings
to the Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program at RAARP@wildlife.nh.gov (other states likely have similar programs) and support the
permanent conservation of large landscapes with a mix of wetlands and uplands –
places without roads so that turtles can safely travel from pond to nest or
foraging sites and back again.